SNAP
by IsisIzabel
Summary: Set 6 years after Push; Cassie is living in New York while Kira & Nick are living in Australia, but a series of events put them back in each others' world. Eventual Cassie/Nick. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_**-New York City, New York-**_

The vision came without warning, slicing through her mind with blinding fury, making her cry out in pain and surprise. The image came hard and fast, and she staggered back, her feet sliding on the slick floor of the shower. She dropped the bottle of generic shampoo she held, barely noticing when it glanced off her foot before thumping hard against the tiles. She blindly flung her arms out, her hands pressing against the wet walls of the shower stall, groping for balance.

Cassie dropped her head, let her wet hair fall over her face, and relaxed as best as she could into the vision. Years of practice had taught her not to fight back against the barrage of mental images that would assail her without warning and without provocation.

Sometimes they slid in, barely noticeable at all. The floated through like daydreams, amusing and odd, but not unpleasant. And other times—like this—the desperate edge to them was enough to drive her to her knees, gritting her teeth against the violent onslaught that ripped into her mind.

Cassie gasped, coughing when the water from the shower was sucked into her lungs. She leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor, finally pressing the heels of her hands against her forehead.

They were too late.

Her vision clearing, she blinked through the water and tried to steady her breathing.

It was the fourth vision she'd had like this in as many weeks. They were always too late.

She leaned her head back, letting her eyes stay shut as the water rained down from above. Each drop hit her sensitive skin like a tiny razor, but she was too exhausted to lean forward and turn it off. She couldn't differentiate between the pounding between her ears from the pounding on the door. It wasn't until the shower curtain was flung back and the cold air clawed across her body that she realized she wasn't alone any longer.

"Shit!" the deep voice cursed, frustration and anger tinged in his tone. The water was turned off, the old pipes groaning in protest.

Cassie kept her eyes shut, and leaned into the familiar embrace that lifted her from the floor. He held her body, dripping and limp, against himself as he carried her from the communal bathroom to the bedroom down the hall.

"Is she OK?"

"Aw, _hell_. Another one?"

The questioning voices rang out from all sides, and Cassie knew word would spread throughout the group within minutes.

"Give her space," the sharp voice of her savior snapped, kicking her bedroom door shut with his foot before depositing her on her own bed. He tossed a well worn blanket over her naked body and sank onto the edge of her bed, smoothing his hands over her head and face, pushing away the wet clumps of hair that stuck to her cheeks.

"Cass? _Cassie_."

She blinked, her blue eyes clearing as she refocused.

His own pale blue eyes looked down at her and he gave a ragged sigh of relief, bowing his head. "Fuck, I thought you might've blacked out again."

She forced a weak smile on her thin lips. "Thanks, Kane."

William Kane—Kane to his friends—looked more worried than usual. Not that Cassie could really blame him. In the three years she had known him, Kane had seen his fair share of her mind-splitting visions and their aftermaths. Everything from blacking out for hours on end to bloody noses to the one time a vein popped in her left eye. He was a good friend and her closest confidant in the house.

It was Kane who had recruited her for the Helping Hands Foundation in San Francisco. He and several others had taken to setting up safe houses in different cities across the country. Sanctuaries for people with abilities that had left Division following the years the government sanctioned project had collapsed. They had found themselves instantly homeless, jobless, and friendless. In those three years, Cassie had helped set up houses in Olympia, Des Moines, Detroit, and now New York. She used her visions to find people in need for them to help.

But it seemed the older she got, the harder the visions got and the more of a toll they took on her body. In more recent weeks, her visions had taken a bitter, sharp turn and she was given rare glimpses of people—usually teenagers, sometimes younger—being taken. She knew from the visions they had abilities, but she didn't know where or why they were being taken.

The only thing she knew for certain was that it wasn't Division and she always got the visions too late for her to be able to stop them.

Cassie struggled to push herself up on her elbows, frowning in protest when his hands gently shoved her back onto the bed.

"Take it easy," he admonished, his tone somewhere between playful and pleading.

Cassie nodded and sank against her pillow, letting the roiling images in her mind settle, find their place. She rubbed her temples.

Kane stood up and crossed the room to her dresser. He plucked a bottle off the top and shook several pills into his hand. He started back for her, grabbing the half empty glass of water on the bedside table. He sank onto the bed beside her, pressing the pills and glass into her waiting hands.

She swallowed the aspirin in on gulp and set the glass back on the nightstand. She flashed him a weak, but grateful smile. "Thanks."

He gave a short nod, his eyes sweeping over her to assess for any damage. "You sure you're OK?"

She sighed and leaned back against the pillow, thankful for the comfort of her own bed. She reached for the coverlet and pulled it around her shivering body. "Yeah. It just … This one happened really fast. Kind of knocked me off my feet." She draped an arm across her eyes, shielding herself from the light in the room.

He hesitated for a second before asking, "What was it this time?" He moved to her window and pulled the thin curtains closed.

She lowered her arm, staring up at the peeling paint of the white ceiling. If they could get the money together for supplies, they really needed to spend a weekend repainting the donated house that currently served as headquarters for their New York City location.

"A boy. Thirteen, maybe fourteen," she finally managed. "It was someplace local this time—in the city. An alley behind a diner, near a dumpster. He had a red backpack and brown hair. I only saw him for a second. Like the shadows … swallowed him, or something."

"That doesn't really narrow it down," Kane pointed out. He raked a hand through his disheveled dark hair, making it stick up even more than usual. "This city's full of diners and dumpsters, and teenagers that loiter around them."

She reigned in a growl of frustration. She _knew_ that. She knew New York was filled to capacity with millions, and finding one lone boy—one _missing_ lone boy—was a virtual impossibility.

"Somewhere uptown," she went on. "Doesn't matter; he's gone now."

He swore softly. "What the hell, Cass? What's the point of these visions if you don't get enough time to stop things?"

She flinched, taking his words as an insult. She sat up, ignoring the wave of nausea, and tossing her blond hair over her bare shoulders. "It's not like I asked for—"

He held up his hands, surrendering. "I didn't mean that. I just don't get why you keep getting visions of people being taken when it's too late to help them."

"Yeah? That makes two of us," she snapped.

Kane took a deep breath. "Look, it's not your fault, OK?"

"Yeah, OK," she muttered, wrapping the blanket tighter around her thin frame.

He touched her chin with his index finger, tilting her face up to look at him. "Hey. I mean it. You're too hard on yourself."

Cassie blinked once and looked away, focusing her attention on the window three feet away. There was hardly a view worth looking at—just the bricked side of their neighboring building, but it gave her something else to focus on.

Kane dropped his hand, sighing. "Do you think it's Division?"

Her head snapped around to look at him, and she instantly regretted the action. Her head throbbed in protest. "No. No, not Division. Division doesn't operate that way. At least, not anymore they don't. This is … this is something else."

He frowned, his lips pressing together. He moved back to the bed, perching on the edge. "Who else would be rounding up people with abilities?"

"I don't know," Cassie said, swallowing hard. She shrugged, helpless. "I don't understand any of this." She blinked back the sudden tears that stung her eyes.

Kane covered the hand with his, his eyes soft and concerned. "Cass…" He leaned towards her, his gaze drifting unconsciously to her lips.

Cassie stiffened, reading the intent in his eyes. She leaned away, trying to be discreet and knowing she failed miserably.

He chuckled off the effort and stood up, heading to her dresser. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of lose sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. He tossed them onto her bed before starting for the door.

Kane had never made his attraction to her a secret. He also never pressed the issue every time she refused him. He simply smiled and changed the subject.

"I'll tell everyone you're OK." Kane hesitated, his hand on her doorknob. His back arched as his shoulders slumped. "Call him."

Cassie paused, her hand freezing mid-grab for the shirt. "What?"

He didn't turn as he forced the words out. "You always feel better after you call him. So call him."

Her eyes slid shut. "Kane—" Sometimes he was too good to be true.

He turned them, giving her a sad smile. "It's OK, Cass. Really." Then he was gone, her door closing quietly behind her.

She yanked the shirt over her head quickly before sliding her legs out of the bed and tugging on the sweatpants. She tied the cotton drawstring in a double knot and eyed the cell phone on the corner of her dresser.

Cassie swallowed and crossed the room, palming the small phone. She scrolled through the contact list until she came on the right number.

**NICK**

She shuffled back to the bed, tucking her legs under her body and staring at the phone. She closed her eyes and pressed the 'SEND' button.

***

_**-Bells Beach, Australia-**_

The shrill ring of the phone was startling in the quiet room.

Kira stood up fluidly from her seat at the table in the small kitchen and she went to the counter. It wasn't her phone ringing, it was Nick's. He must have left it when he went out earlier.

She was about to let it go when she saw the caller ID flashing: **CASSIE**

Grimacing, she reached for the phone and opened it. "Hello?"

"_Hello?" the small voice on the other end repeated. "Kira?"_

Kira tried not to clench her teeth. "Oh, hey, Cassie."

"_Hey," Cassie repeated, her tone just as guarded. "Is, um, Nick around?"_

"He went out this morning. Wanted to get in a few hours of surfing before we headed into Melbourne for the week," Kira explained, moving back to her seat.

"_Oh. Well, OK. Would you … can you tell him I called?"_

"Sure," Kira said breezily, picking up the bottle of Cherry Berry nail polish she had set aside.

"_Great. Thanks." Cassie sighed, her breathing shaky._

Kira sat up straighter. "Are you OK?"

"_Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. It was just … a vision."_

"Anything I can help with?"

_Cassie snorted bitterly. "Not really. It's just … I'll figure it out."_

"Well, hey, if you need any help…" Kira let the offer hang. She tucked the cell phone between her shoulder and ear, craning her neck. "How's Detroit?"

"_Actually, I'm in New York now," Cassie replied softly._

"Oh." Kira frowned. "Nick didn't say—"

"_He doesn't … I mean, I didn't tell him. I've only been here a few weeks."_

Kira stayed silent, not sure what else to say. Small talk had never been her strong suit, and she and Cassie had never truly gotten along. Not even after Kira had taken care of Carver and found Nick and Cassie back in Hong Kong. Cassie had split from them a few months later, but had kept in fairly regular contact with Nick for the past six years. At least until the last year when their phone calls had become more and more sporadic.

"_So, just tell him I called, OK? And maybe we'll catch up later."_

"Sure thing," Kira said, smiling into the phone. "Take care, Cassie."

"_You, too."_

Kira hung up first, tossing the phone across the table without a second thought. She unscrewed the cap of her nail polish and started applying a second coat.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_**-Melbourne, Australia-**_

Nick stood up from the bench, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as Kira exited the small boutique. He flashed her a warm smile as she approached and stepped back as an elderly couple walked past.

"Hungry?" she asked as she approached, discreetly tucking the roll of bills into her purse. She ducked her head, her dark hair shining in the afternoon sunlight.

"Famished," he agreed, teasing. He reached for her hand, pulling her along with him. "Everything go OK?"

"Sure," Kira said easily, slanting her eyes over at him. "Why wouldn't it?"

He shrugged. "Just wonderin'."

Since they had moved to Australia three years earlier, Kira had been selling jewelry she made. About eighteen months ago a shop in Melbourne requested exclusive pieces, and that had quickly turned into a nice money making deal for them. Kira only traveled once a month to Melbourne from their home in Bells Beach and brought the new pieces to the store.

Nick glanced at her, taking note of how quiet she was. He slowed them to a stop. "What's up?"

Kira blinked up at him, frowning. "What?"

He smiled again, gently. "You're acting weird. Have been since I got home this morning. What's going on?"

She shrugged, looking down the street. "Nothing, really. Cassie called."

His eyes widened and he reached in his pocket for his cell phone. "Why didn't you say something sooner?" He opened his phone and checked for messages.

"I talked to her for a little while," Kira explained dismissively.

He looked up at her, his blue eyes dazzling in the bright light. "Yeah? How'd she sound?" A small smile played on his lips, and Kira instantly recognized it as the smile he got when he talked about Cassie.

Cassie Holmes.

Nick had only known the girl, then barely thirteen years old, for a matter of months, but he still felt every bit as protective of her as he had when they first met. He hadn't had much of a family growing up. His mom split when he was a baby, and Carver had killed his father when he was eleven… After that he had perfected his human impersonation of a pinball, bouncing from one foster family to the next until he landed out on his ass at age eighteen.

Cassie had brought out something in him he didn't realize he had buried, something he didn't realize he had wanted. The petite girl had driven him crazy one minute and brought out every big brother instinct possible the next. She provided that sense of family he had been craving.

Kira rubbed her forehead, trying to mask her annoyance as Nick scrolled through his phone's call history. She sighed, watching as he frowned, knowing he would be pissed.

"She called over six hours ago," he said sharply, his gaze flicking up to meet hers.

"I said I forgot," Kira retorted, defensive. She crossed her arms under her chest and shook her bangs out of her eyes.

"Yeah, but _six _hours? Why didn't you tell me when I got—"

"I _forgot_!" she snapped, her eyes flashing. "Jesus, Nick. It wasn't that big of a deal."

His expression hardened. "Did she say it wasn't a big deal?"

"Yeah," Kira muttered. "Something about she's living in New York now, and she just wanted to say hi."

His face smoothed out, and that smile slowly started to play on his lips again. "New York, huh? She setting up another house?"

Kira shrugged. "Didn't say."

"You didn't ask?"

"Nick," Kira started, her tone level and cool, "Cassie and I have never been best buddies. She called to talk to _you_. Not me."

"I should call her back," Nick said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.

"It's nearly two in the morning in New York," Kira pointed out, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. She wiped her palms on her faded jeans. "You'd just wake her up."

He nodded, but he wasn't happy as he slid his cell phone back into his pocket. "I guess you're right."

"Call her later," Kira urged with a nonchalant shrug.

"Yeah, I will," he replied, but his look was still distant. A muscle worked in his jaw, the same one that always jumped when he was deep in thought.

She sighed again, quietly. "What is it now?"

Nick looked over at her, suddenly smiling once more. "Coney Island's in New York."

Kira stiffened, seeing where this was going. "Last time I checked it still was."

"And we haven't been to the states in over eight years," he added for good measure. "Why not take a trip back home?"

"Bells Beach is home," she replied softly, uneasy.

He rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky. "I _know_, Kira, but it'd be fun to go back to the States. We can go to Coney Island again … We could use a vacation."

She snorted, but couldn't help grinning at him. "Every _day_ is a vacation for you, surfer boy." She reached up and ruffled the sun bleached hair on top of his head.

He grinned at her unabashedly. "Yeah, but it could be fun to see what Cassie's doing with the kids stateside. I mean, from what she's told me, it's a big deal."

Kira blinked once and then shrugged with one shoulder. "OK."

His teeth flashed in the sun, even and white. "Really?"

"Sure. Why not?" She smiled back at him, indulgent.

Nick grabbed her by the waist, pulling her flush against his body. He pressed a kiss into the side of her neck, his fingers skimming the bronzed skin he found beneath the hem of her white cotton peasant top. He leaned back and looked down at her. "I'll call and make the arrangements today."

Kira laughed, throwing her head back. "OK. I just need to a run a few errands. Meet you at the diner down the street in an hour?"

"I can come with you…"

She laid a hand gently on his shoulder, stepping out of his embrace. "No, it's fine. Just some girl stuff errands. I'll meet you in a bit."

"OK," he agreed easily, kissing her quickly on the lips before turning to head down the street. The sun catching the blond highlights in his hair as he went.

Kira sighed, watching him go. Maybe a trip to New York was what they both needed.

_**-New York City, New York-**_

"_Move_!" Cassie ordered, shouldering her way between two teenage girls as she raced down the hallway. They complied, eyes wide and wondering as she hurried by them. She hit the steps at a run, her feet slapping down on each one as she went.

She rounded the corner, slamming into a hard body.

Kane reached out, steadying her. "Whoa, Cass. What's wrong?"

She tried to step around him, annoyed when he stayed in front of her. "Move, Kane, I have to stop—"

The wall exploded behind them in a shower of plaster and dry wall fragments as a television was hurled through it. Kane instinctively shoved Cassie back against the wall, shielding her body with his. They both started coughing as the dust cloud flared up and then began to settle around them.

Kane turned, looking dumbstruck at the gaping hole in the second-floor wall. "What the hell was that?"

Cassie sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I was trying to stop that."

Brayden, a third generation Mover that Kane had found last week, emerged from the hole. His emerald eyes were wide behind the wire-rimmed glasses shoved high on the bridge of his nose, his curly auburn hair sticking up in various directions. He looked at Cassie and Kane, his cheeks stained crimson.

"I am _so_ sorry," he started weakly.

Cassie shook her head as Kane approached the fifteen-year-old. She leaned against the opposite wall, watching as other kids in the house came from all directions to see what the commotion was about. She brushed some debris from the shoulder of her purple t-shirt.

"What happened?" Kane kept his voice calm and even as he surveyed the damage.

Brayden ducked his head. "I was just practicing. You know, the way you told me I should? To help control my power?"

"I'm pretty sure I never mentioned throwing a TV through the wall," Kane said mildly, lifting a large piece of drywall from the floor. Several others laughed at his statement.

Cassie watched, a smile playing on her lips as Kane interacted with Brayden. Kane was good with the younger kids, patient and understanding. He was a first generation Reader—a telepath. His ability to read the minds of the kids around them led to an understanding of them by default.

"I'm so sorry, Kane. It was an accident. I misjudged the weight of the TV and—"

"Just … fix the hole," Kane said, turning away so Brayden wouldn't see him smiling.

"Fix the hole?" Brayden repeated slowly, his gaze wide and owlish behind his glasses.

Kane glanced over his shoulder at the boy, his blue eyes shining. "Yeah. Unless you want to live in a room with a big hole in the side of it. Your choice."

Cassie smiled broadly as Kane approached. "I saw what he was going to do and tried to stop it."

Kane nodded. "Yeah, well, he's a kid. Mistakes happen." His expression sobered and he reached out, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"How's your head?"

"Still hurts," Cassie admitted, rubbing her temples.

He lowered his hand to her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Go get some more sleep. I can hold down the fort."

She smiled, grateful, and nodded with a yawn. She covered her mouth with a hand, embarrassed. "I think I will. Thanks, Kane."

"Anytime."


	3. Chapter 3

_**-New York City, New York-**_

Cassie woke up slowly, her eyes adjusting to the morning light. She pushed herself up on her elbows, grateful that for the moment she was pain free. The blinding vision she'd had of the young boy being kidnapped three days ago was just a haunting memory. It had taken almost that many days for the ache inside her skull to subside, and in that time they had another kid join the house, this one a Stitch.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, amazed that in the few weeks they had been in New York, they had already pulled ten kids with abilities off the streets. Ten kids that had been outcast by society or living on the streets and had no place left to go.

When Kane had first approached Cassie about helping set up housing for teens with abilities, she had scoffed at the idea, not seeing how it could work. But over time, she had seen that the houses were a necessity.

After Henry Carver's untimely death (some said murder), there was a power vacuum in Division that couldn't be closed until finally the President of the United States stepped in, mandating that all Division subjects had to be strictly volunteers only. Needless to say, few wanted to volunteer to be lab rats. The significantly downsized Division project had left thousands of people with abilities around the country suddenly out on the street with no housing or income to speak out.

It left a huge void in the social infrastructure of people with abilities. This led others with abilities, most of whom had their own abilities and powers, to start a project aptly named the Healing Hands Foundation. The Foundation aimed at helping these outcasts reintegrate into society. The goal of the project was simply, really: give them temporary housing and help them find jobs while rejoining society.

Kane had been recruited early on to help with the teen sect of the project. He found runaways and kids who had basically been abandoned and brought them into the houses he set up in each city. He helped them learn how to master their ability so they weren't a danger to others. His own ability as a Telepath helped him to identify and empathize with the teens.

It was while Kane was setting up a house in southern San Francisco that Cassie met him. She had just turned sixteen and was grateful for the place to stay. When Kane announced he was leaving to set up another house in Olympia, Washington a few months later, Cassie offered to go with him and help him find people by using her own power.

They had been together ever since, moving across the country and setting up different housing sanctuaries as they went. But it wasn't until they had moved to Detroit she started getting the disturbing visions of young teens being kidnapped without warning.

Each time they investigated the vision, it turned out the child was already missing. Her visions seemed to be happening only moments before the actual abduction. It was frustrating and terrifying all at once. She had never felt so out of sync with her ability.

Cassie got out of bed and shuffled towards her dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans and a gray tank top. She changed quickly, pulling her hair back into a messy bun before opening her door and heading for the communal kitchen she shared with the others.

The three story brownstone they shared had been donated a three months earlier by an elderly woman, a first generation Mover, who had passed away with no family to speak of. She left the house and several thousand dollars to the Healing Hands Foundation. It needed some repairs, but the structure was sound and had four bedrooms and an attic that had been converted into two more rooms. Each room had three beds, save for Kane and Cassie's. They each managed to get a single room, one of the perks of working for the Foundation.

Cassie's feet had just hit the landing when Devin's head popped up from around the corner.

The sixteen-year-old brunette Bleeder smiled at Cassie as she approached. "Hey, Cass." Her smile was kind and innocent, belying the violent nature of her gift.

"What's going on, Devin?" Cassie offered her a sleepy smile and stretched her arms over her head.

"Kane's out front. Apparently he found another one this morning. Young, too. Like twelve or something," Devin explained, popping a grape into her open mouth.

Cassie frowned and looked out the window where she saw Kane and two others they shared the house with standing in front of an Asian girl who looked entirely too young to be on her own.

Frowning, Cassie started for the door, stopping long enough to snag a grape from the baggie of them Devin had. She crossed through the front hallway and opened the front door.

The early July sun was warm, already heating up the asphalt. She went down the steps to the street, coming to a stop beside Kane.

"Sun, this is Cassie," Kane said without missing a beat. "Cassie helps me run the house."

Cassie smiled warmly at the skittish girl. 'Hi. Sun, was it?"

The girl nodded, her straight chopped hair bobbing. "Yes," she managed, her accent thick and heavy.

_Mandarin Chinese_, Cassie recognized. In the months she lived with Nick and Kira in Hong Kong, he had taught her the basics of the different dialects he knew, one of them being Mandarin Chinese.

"Sun is a Mover," Kane informed her, crossing his muscular arms across his broad chest.

Cassie turned her gaze back to Sun. "That's great. We have two other Movers in the house as well."

Kane looked over at the two girls standing a few feet away. "Asha, Lindsey? Can you guys take Sun inside and get her settled in?"

The blond of the two, Asha, extended a hand to the younger girl. "C'mon, Sun," she encouraged, her southern accent thick and friendly.

Sun's eyes widened as she glanced nervously at Kane and Cassie.

"It's OK," Asha went on, her smile bright as the sunny day. Lindsey smirked at the younger girl, but thankfully remained silent.

Lindsey had a chip on her shoulder the size of Texas and had tattooed almost every inch of available skin on her body that wasn't pierced. She had been one of the first kids they found when they came to New York. She was as much a talented Stitch as she was a pain in the ass.

After another moment of hesitation, Sun nodded and followed Asha and Lindsey inside the brownstone.

Cassie let out a long breath. "We're going to have to get another house at the rate you keep finding them."

Kane leaned against the railing on the steps and shrugged. "Probably." He didn't seem bothered by the idea.

Cassie flinched at the sudden vision that clouded her sight. "What's Sun's story?" she asked sharply when the image cleared.

"Family freaked when they found out she could move objects telekinetically." Kane looked suspiciously down at her. "Why?"

She frowned, her expression stormy. "Sun's dad is going to show up here and make a scene. He'll want her back."

Kane snorted, shaking his head. "The bastard burned her arms with a lighter every time she accidentally moved something. Like hell she's going back."

Cassie shrugged, but nodded in agreement. "Where'd you find her?"

He smiled ruefully and rubbed the back of his neck. "Around the corner, actually. She's been living at the shelter down the street. I was walking by and saw her move a dumpster."

"She moved a _dumpster_?" she repeated slowly.

He chuckled and nodded. "There was this huge, fat cat stuck behind it. Damn thing scratched her arm when she tried to pick it up."

Cassie started laughing then, imagining the petite Asian girl trying to free an oversized tabby from behind a dumpster. It only took a second for Kane to start laughing with her, his massive shoulders shaking. She was still giggling when she heard her name being called.

"Cassie."

She froze mid-laugh, her eyes going wide. Her breath caught, and she watched Kane stiffen at her reaction.

"Cass," he started, beginning to move around her protectively.

Cassie spun, strands of blond hair coming lose from the bun and flying around her face. She squinted in the sunlight, certain she wasn't seeing what she was seeing.

Nick smiled at her, barely five feet away. He looked amazingly the same, and yet completely different. His hair was lighter, bleached by the sun, but his face was still scruffy. He was more tanned, his muscles seemingly more defined beneath the black t-shirt he wore, and his hands were shoved in the pockets of well worn blue jeans. His blue eyes were grinning at her in a way that was so familiar it made her heart ache.

"Cass, you know this guy?" Kane asked quietly, his expression narrowing in concentration as he focused on Nick, intending to read him.

"Nick," Cassie said softly, amazement in her voice. She started shaking her head in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled. "Came to see you."

She took one step forward and then ran the remaining feet to him, jumping into his open arms. She wound her arms around his neck as his arms closed around her waist, holding her off the ground. She let her eyes slide closed and rested her chin on his shoulder.

He laughed again, the sound rumbling through them both. "I missed you too, Cass."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nick slowly set Cassie back down on the ground, dropping his hands from her waist after a beat, but reaching up to touch the top of her head. "Wow. What happened to the color?"

She smirked, shaking her head. "Still there. Sort of." She twisted around, showing him the single streak of purple underneath. It was tame compared to the multiple colored streaks and chunks she had in her hair the first time they met.

"Ah. Nice," he said with a quick grin, tugging the end of her hair.

Her eyes swept the sidewalk. "Where's Kira?"

"She had some things she wanted to do. She's going to meet us for dinner," Nick answered easily.

"So you're the infamous Nick," Kane said, coming to stand beside Cassie. "Cass had told me a lot about you."

Nick turned his gaze to Cassie, his expression teasing. "Really?"

She bit her lower lip, rolling her eyes. "None of it good," she assured him. "Nick, this is Kane."

"I figured as much," Nick said, extending a hand to the darker haired man and giving him an easy smile.

Kane shook his hand firmly, his lips pressed into a thin smile that didn't quite reach his blue eyes. "Nice to finally meet you."

"You, too," Nick replied. He touched Cassie's shoulder. "So, Kane, you mind if I steal Cassie for the day?"

"What are we doing?" she asked before Kane could answer.

"Just thought we'd hang out, catch up," Nick said with a nonchalant shrug. He grinned down at her again before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and hugging her to his side.

"Right," Kane said, his voice suddenly loud. He looked down at Cassie. "You should go. Have fun."

She looked torn for a moment. "You'll be OK with Sun?" She glanced up at Nick. "Kane just brought a new girl to the house, a Mover."

His eyes lit up at the mention of a shared gift and her enthusiasm. "That's awesome."

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it covered. You should … go," Kane interrupted with a thin smile.

She grinned at him and reached over to hug him quickly. "Thanks, Kane. I'll be back later."

"Yeah. Have fun."

Cassie turned and linked her arm with Nick's letting him lead her down the sidewalk. Nick glanced behind them as Kane headed inside the house. He glanced down at Cassie, his brow furrowed.

"You didn't tell me Kane had a thing for you," he said casually, keeping his tone light.

She sighed quietly. "Caught that, did you?"

"Hard not to with the way he was glaring at me," he teased in return. "I take it you don't return the sentiment?"

She let out a long breath. "No … It's just … complicated."

"Complicated how?" he pressed, not willing to let her off the hook so easily.

"Kane's a great guy, don't get me wrong," she started, "but I just can't risk anything happening to our relationship. I mean, he's my best friend—"

Nick stopped short, turning to face her. He clasped a hand to his chest and stared down at her with wide eyes. "I thought I was your best friend."

Cassie punched him in the arm. "Shut up, dumbass. You know you are. But you aren't _here_ all the time."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Right."

"How long are you here for?" she asked as they turned a corner.

"A week. Maybe longer. I'm not sure yet," he replied. "Kira has family up north, and I'm not sure if I'll go with her to visit them or stay here."

She nodded slowly, leading him into a café she knew well. "I love this place. They have the best biscotti."

He responded by holding the door for her as they went in. On instinct, he swept his gaze across the café and its patrons, immediately pegging any exits. His gaze lingered on a table of guys a few years younger than himself and they way their gazes blatantly locked onto Cassie the moment she entered. He frowned and glanced over at the girl he considered to be a surrogate little sister.

She had changed. Any idiot could see that.

Gone was the rounded face that told of her youth. It had been replaced by high cheekbones and wide blue eyes fringed with dark lashes. The added five inches she had acquired gave her a willowy, soft shape. The feminine curves that were devastatingly perfect in proportion would have any man drooling.

In short, Cassie Holmes was beautiful.

Nick sighed, shaking the thought away and following her to the counter. Cassie already had her hands splayed against the glass display.

"Can I get a chocolate chip one?" she asked, pointing to the tray of biscotti that had been artfully arranged.

The lady used a silver set of tongs to bag the pastry and then glanced back up. "Coffee?"

She shook her head. "Bottled water," she said and hooked a thumb at Nick, "and whatever he's having."

"Coffee, large, black," Nick said, laying a hand over Cassie's when she started to reach in her pocket. He shook his head. "I got it."

"Thanks," she said, trailing her fingers lightly across the glass as she moved down to the cashier with him.

Once they were settled at a table, he watched as she dug into the biscotti, licking her lips to catch every bit of the cream-filling. She grinned at him. "Want a bite?"

"No, thanks," he said, shaking his head and taking a tentative sip of his coffee.

He watched as she dug in her pocket and produced a white pill. She popped it into her mouth, chasing it with a long drink of water.

He frowned. "What's that?"

"Pain killer," she said, her voice low. "Sometimes the visions give me these headaches…"

"You didn't tell me it was that bad." He couldn't keep the accusation out of his tone.

"Usually isn't," she said with a shrug. "But lately … I don't know. It's weird. These aren't normal visions."

He leaned his forearms against the chipped tabletop and cocked his head to one side. "What do you mean?"

Cassie sighed quietly and leaned back in her chair, tracing the circle of condensation left by her water bottle. "They're … harder. Stronger. I keep seeing kids getting kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" He was stunned.

She nodded slowly, lifting her gaze to meet his. "I can't explain it, Nick. It's just … This isn't normal. It's like something is intentionally blocking me from seeing what's happening until it's too late."

"Is that even possible?"

"Maybe? I don't know. It's not like there's a manual on how to handle these visions." She blew out a frustrated breath.

Nick shifted in his seat. "Have you thought about trying to find your mom?"

Cassie chuckled bitterly. "No. Not at all."

"Maybe she can—"

She cut his words off with a withering glare. "My mom made it pretty damn clear she didn't want anything to do with me when Division imploded, Nick. She didn't even _try_ to find me."

He nodded slowly, sensing she wasn't ready for him to press the issue. "And these visions you've been having? The headaches are bad?"

She gave a curt nod. "It's a real pain in the ass. I even blacked out once. Scared the hell out of Kane."

He frowned, annoyed and confused. "Why the hell didn't you tell me any of this?"

Her gaze narrowed. "You have your own life, Nick. You and Kira. I'm not going to call you every time I have a headache. I'm not a little kid anymore."

He opened his mouth to protest, but decided against the retort that hovered on his lips. Instead he sighed and shook his head, reaching across the table to touch her hand. "Cassie, we're _friends_. I care about you, and if something this serious is happening, I want to know about it."

She turned her hand over and laced their fingers together. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

His lips quirked into a grin and he squeezed her hand once before letting go. "So what do I have to do to get a tour of your new house?"

Her blue eyes widened. "Seriously? You want to see the house?"

"Sure I do," he answered, taking another drink of coffee. "Maybe even meet some of these kids you've been raving about."

Cassie stood up, not needing any further prompting. She held out a hand to him. "Let's go."


End file.
